The Sol of the System
by Kasienda
Summary: The Silver Alliance is threatened on all sides while Metallica's agents of Chaos infiltrating the leadership in all of their allies, determined to get their hands on the Silver Crystal. In a desperate ploy to protect the crystal, Princes Serenity embarks on a secret mission to safe guard the crystal in the last place her adversaries would anticipate - Earth.


A/N: This fic was written for thefinalkey16 for the 2019 Fall in Love fic exchange. It's a Silver Millennium story whose premise (plus a few details) is loosely inspired by Voltron and is meant to have a sort of sci-fi feel to it! (But you don't need to know anything about Voltron! Promise!) I hope you enjoy it. A full explanation of the parallels can be found at the bottom.

…

Serenity had dreamed of Earth for years. The glowing blue marble that hung in the night sky like a jeweled centerpiece changed every time she looked at it, like it was a living, breathing creature. She had imagined over and over what it would be like to set foot on a sandy beach or weave through a meadow of flowers.

She had seen hologram stills, of course. But the reality of it was almost too much to process.

Her feet sank deeply into the soft moist earth below her as the larger planet's gravity pulled her down. Whereas she was light on her feet on the Moon, Terra made her feel grounded and centered. Even the blue sky felt heavy and comforting on her shoulders like she was wrapped up in a thick blanket.

The atmosphere on the Moon was thin and still. The air here shifted and blew past. Venus said it was called wind. This wind blasted into her face, tasting of salt. The light gossamer fabric of her dress that would have fluttered at the slightest change in pressure on the moon, flapped wildly in the throes of Terra's afternoon breeze.

The ground was covered in blades of green, spotted with tiny colorful flowers. Plants as tall as buildings interrupted the hillside. She had never realized that trees would grow so high.

She could have spent all afternoon taking in the sights, smells, and sensations. She could have spent _weeks _doing nothing more but wandering aimlessly across this living paradise. But she didn't have time to marvel at this gorgeous world.

She had a mission.

She turned to her blonde protector at her side, dressed in full senshi regalia. "We should set out," Serenity said, tearing her eyes away from the landscape around them.

Venus fell into her pace naturally. "Let me do this for you," the senshi pleaded before they had made it four steps.

Serenity's lips thinned at the old argument. "Absolutely _not_. This is _my_ mission."

"Which makes it mine as well," Venus countered. She held herself stiffly, her cornflower blue gaze laid everywhere else except on her princess, no doubt searching the hills for threats, real and imagined.

"You don't think I can do this, do you?" Serenity snapped before her protector could start listing all the ways in which she was better suited to this mission than the crowned heir of Lunaria. "You think I'm soft and useless just like the entire Lunarian Court."

"You know that's not it," her dearest friend interjected patiently. "You know you've nothing to prove to me."

Serenity sighed. "Then what is it?"

"_You_ shouldn't be the one at risk," Venus said gently. "It should be _me_. And the Senshi. We are your shield."

Serenity's eyes softened. "I can't always sit back and let you do everything for me. There are some risks that are worth taking."

"I'm not sure this is one of them."

"What?

"I think your obsession with Terra is clouding your judgement."

"Your obsession with _me_ is clouding _yours_!" Serenity countered hotly.

"Serenity," Venus clasped her hands into her own. "It's your death to be caught here."

The princess snorted. According to her senshi, everything under the sun could lead to her death. She was tired of being protected and sheltered. She was eager to prove herself, eager to be here. "It's a good plan! You said so yourself!"

"It _is_ a good plan." Venus conceded. "But _you_ don't have to be the one to execute it!

But she did. She was the only one who could safeguard this crystal. Sure, any of her Senshi would have hidden the gem on Terra. But to afford the best protection for the crystal she would need Terra's aid. And none of her Senshi, nor any of her mother's court, would ever trust a Terran.

But Serenity would.

It was the only reason her mother had let her attempt this mission herself.

And the Queen was willing to risk her only daughter because they might lose _everything _if they failed.

...

Serenity sat in the grass with her eyes closed and her knees falling to her side. Damp cold seeped into layers of skirts. The song of birds and chirping insects vibrated against her skin pleasantly. As much as she wanted to get lost in the sounds of Earth, she had another purpose.

Serenity sang softly under her breath. There wasn't a melody or words, just an ever present tone she used to center herself and block out the distracting sounds around her. She envisioned a bright light in her mind's eye - blue like the planet she occupied, and cast it out in all directions. The energy buzzed and settled around her like an extra layer of skin before rushing out to fill every nook and cranny of the earth's surface around her. She could feel the rolling of the hills and rush of a babbling brook as if, for a second, they were a part of her. The sensation was both familiar and alien as the terrain and feel of the Earth was just so much more dynamic, alive, and breathing compared to the harsh reality of the Lunar surface.

It would look like she was scrying for access to the Golden Kingdom. That's what Venus assumed she was doing. But she knew that Elysian wasn't a place in the physical realm. That it lay beyond the realms of matter. And that she would need a guide to get her there.

And there was only one entity that would suffice.

The protector of dreams, the senshi and guardian of this planet.

She simply needed to gain her attention whoever she happened to be - hence the energy net she cast out without aim or target. Hopefully this planet's senshi would detect her "invasion" and come find her. She couldn't be sure that it had worked. Was the guardian even close by? But she let her eyes fall open anyway with her task complete. She had done all she could for the night. If it didn't work, she could try again tomorrow.

For now, she had to wait.

"Did you find anything?" Venus inquired when Serenity opened her eyes to the sun cresting over the mountain range in the distance.

"Not as of yet," the princess reported honestly. "I'm learning the landscape."

Venus nodded. "You should rest."

Serenity settled into her bedroll, laying on the ground. So different that the magnificent bed in her private quarters. She could feel every rock and twig under her thick pad. She reveled in it.

Sleep did claim her eventually. She dreamt of a snow-white horse, exuding peace and comfort. She wanted nothing more than to touch its flowing mane. But every time she tried to approach the magnificent creature, a man led it away, sometimes through the power of flight.

The clashing of metal on metal tore Serenity from her peaceful dream. And before she had time to react she restrained - her hands and armed pulled violently into rope restraints. A knee from an unseen adversary pressing painfully into her back discouraged any attempt at escape.

Venus was hurling ancient curses at their ambushers. The fact that she had resorted to insults and words, suggested her protector was already incapacitated as well.

And for the first time since she had left the comfort of her own home and world, Serenity felt fear creep in. She had assumed that she could not fail, and their very first night in enemy territory had found her captured and helpless.

Not helpless. Not completely.

She cast out her aura once again, and let her energy net settle over her attackers. There were four of them in total - men, each in prime physical shape, and their own auras crackled with some kind of mystical power she had never before encountered. These men had abilities that she might not be able to predict or counter.

A knife was pressed to her throat.

"Stop whatever you're doing now," a deep voice ordered. The threat went unsaid, but was implied.

Serenity immediately pulled her energies back into her own form. The pressure of the knife eased and she sagged in relief. Her eyes darted towards Venus. Her friend had not gone down easily - it took three of the men to bring her down, and she was still fighting.

A sword was drawn.

"Venus!" Serenity called, her voice frantic "Stand down!"

"I will not!"

"Please!" the princess begged. "You are no good to me dead!"

All fight left the blonde senshi's form. Serenity did not trust it. No doubt, Venus would wait for a better opportunity of escape.

"I want bindings on her ankles, knees, eblows, and wrists!" one of the men ordered. Two of the others with fair hair moved in response. The man who spoke then turned his attention to her. The man who held her, yanked her up to her feet and forced her to face the steel grey eyes that threatened to bore through her.

"You thought you could slip into our world undetected?"

Serenity said nothing and just glared back at him. She hadn't been subtle or stealthy. She had been trying to alert the guardian senshi of this planet. But she had little reason to believe these men would hear her out. They would likely have her executed before dawn. Her mission had already failed.

"God, I have always hated the arrogance of Lunarians," the leader commented. "You always think that raw power is always the answer. Did you really think your clumsy technique would go unnoticed? Your presence here is forbidden. You will not meddle in our affairs."

"This has nothing to do with petty Terran affairs!" Venus spat, even as she wrenched her shoulders away from the men that held her. It wasn't a serious escape attempt - more an expression of frustration. It was put to an end with a kick to her knee.

Venus barely grunted, but Serenity couldn't stand it.

"Please!" she begged leaning forward. "We're not trying to interfere. We are in need of your aid!"

"She speaks!" the man who held her from behind commented sarcastically.

The icy grey eyes swiveled back to her. "How can we trust you, Lunarian? You were caught red handed trying to break into the Kingdom of Dreams!"

"I humbly apologize." Serenity bowed her head. She would have dropped to her knees if her captor had allowed it. "I knew of no other way to summon the protector of Elysian."

"You did this intentionally?!" Venus screamed. "What were you thinking?!"

"If it were up to me, I would never let you near him," the leader bit out, his voice hard with threat.

Serenity recognized the tone as the one her own senshi used against any imagined insult or threat to her, and suddenly she understood what she was dealing with. These men weren't military or law enforcement. These men were protecting someone.

Someone that they thought she had apparently threatened.

"It's not up to you, though, is it?" Serenity observed, meeting his gaze with cool confidence.

He growled.

"That's enough, Kunzite," another voice interrupted from the darkness. Serenity turned towards the new presence.

She released another trickle of power. Her energy sung in resonance in the presence of a planetary starseed. She had found the senshi she sought. And it was a Terran _male_. 

Serenity nearly laughed, whether from relief or from the sheer absurdity that a male held the position as guardian senshi, she wasn't certain. But the arms that held her, tightened just the same.

"I told you to _stop_ using your powers," the one holding her growled in displeasure.

Serenity bit her lip. She had underestimated her captors. She had intended for them to detect her overly dramatic use of power earlier in the evening, but she didn't believe they would have been able to detect the minuscule bit she had just channeled.

"I apologize. I mean no harm. I was just checking if he is who I seek. He is. I am here specifically to request _his_ aid," she explained, allowing her eyes to drill into the newcomer even as she addressed his guards.

"You march in and demand the aid of Endymion, the crowned prince of Terra?" one of Venus's captors said with biting sarcasm. "Bold of you."

"I request your aid as the guardian senshi of Terra. That you are the crowned prince bears no significance," Serenity explained.

The sharp intakes of breath told her she had offended them. Were they upset that she had labeled their prince a senshi? Or that she didn't care that he was their prince?

"Nephrite?" Endymion prompted, but his eyes - dark cobalt blue pulsing with an intensity she rarely encountered outside of her senshi - never left her form.

"From what I can sense, she's speaking the truth," the voice at her shoulder reported. Nephrite, his name was Nephrite.

"That's assuming you can even read a Lunarian," one of the others who held Venus commented.

Her quarry raised his hand to stall further objection. "It won't hurt to hear her out."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Thank you!" Serenity allowed a gleaming smile to bloom across her lips. She ignored the jibe completely.

"Don't thank me yet. Your presence here breaks a dozen treaties between our peoples, your highness. The laws I have sworn to uphold as heir and guardian of Terra dictate that I have you executed. I'm only agreeing to hear you out."

Serenity drew in a breath, and searched for the right words. "Metallia's forces of Chaos gather at Sol's border. My mother believes her agents have already infiltrated many inner circles of the Silver Alliance. She comes in search of the Silver Crystal. To ensure she never holds its power we have broken it into seven shards. I want to entrust you with one of the shards. I want you to hide it in Elysian."

Silence met this pronouncement.

Serenity forced herself to keep Endymion's gaze. His eyes felt heavy on her own, and she struggled with the fact that she couldn't read him at all. It was an unfamiliar feeling. With others, she never had any trouble. Even now, she could feel Venus's fury in her peripherals. If the council had known this was what she and her mother intended, they never would have sanctioned the mission. This piece would be forever locked away from their grasp. The silver crystal might never be reformed again. At least, never without Terra's cooperation.

But that was the whole point. To make it as difficult as possible to reform the crystal.

"This is a trap," Zoi interjects. "The crystal may act as a focal point. They could use it to locate and infiltrate the realm."

"Or worse, the device is a weapon, and once in Elysian, it might destroy the entire plane."

"Please!" Serenity interrupted. "I have no way to prove my intentions are pure. But I need you to understand the foe we face. I will give you this crystal," she said, manifesting the deep blue crystal into her hand. "You can analyze it! If you were able to detect my abilities, you will be able to confirm that this is part of the Silver Crystal. You need to safeguard it! You can execute me if you must! But the Silver Crystal must not fall into the hands of Metallia! She will use it to bring only destruction!"

"If they should bring destruction to the Silver Alliance, why should we do anything but celebrate?"

Serenity cursed the centuries of mistrust between Terra and Lunaria. If she couldn't get them to believe her, she had no doubt that everything would be lost. Not just the Silver Alliance, but all of the living galaxy.

"This is more than Lunaria or Terra. Chaos is like a force of nature. It works through subterfuge, poisons minds, and turns allies into enemies until everything is destroyed. This is not a war fought for political gain or even defense of our own home. We battle for the very soul of the galaxy. Chaos will not limit itself to your political rivals and enemies. When we are gone, you will be next, and then with the power of the crystal, the rest of the galaxy will follow."

"What can we offer you in the face of such a foe?"

"You can seal away this crystal!" she said, holding it out again. "You can grant access to no one. The Terran senshi will be the only one with access."

He reached out. She thought he was going to take the crystal as she asked. But instead he closed her own fingers around it, and his hands - callused and strong - enveloped her own as if protecting her from the outside elements. She felt all the tension in her form release within his gentle hold. She felt safe and cared for.

She shrugged off the feeling. She _wanted _to be able to trust him. But it was too soon for that. Her mission was more important. She couldn't let her feelings distract her.

"We will discuss this elsewhere. For now, let us get out of this open field," Endymion's soft voice cut through the air effortlessly. And immediately his men moved. The hold on her from her captor lessened, and instead she was prodded forward, Venus not far behind.

...

Endymion sat at his desk overlooking the private gardens of the seasonal palace. These gardens weren't as visually impressive as the main palace, but he preferred this one just the same because this garden, he had cultivated and nurtured himself, and it was filled with his own personal favorites.

He stared at the garden below unhappily. His extensive training as an aspiring ruler was telling him one thing - be cautious and paranoid. Trust no one. His instincts were telling him something completely different. The impassioned words of this woman who had literally come from the sky, circled endlessly in his mind. Her soulful eyes - the color of the afternoon sky - haunted him. He wanted to do exactly as she asked.

But if she was manipulating him, he would be handing Elysian over on a silver platter. The unbroken line of Terran Guardians had managed to protect the Kingdom of Dreams for centuries. And he would never forgive himself if he were the one to break that tradition. Elysian was a gift to every creature in the galaxy - not just those on Earth. Any soul could visit Elysian and drink from her bounty in their dreams. Anyone with love in their hearts could find wisdom, peace, and healing there. But the place was fragile. To allow anyone or anything entrance - even this crystal shard - in the physical realm could risk its balance being lost.

On the other hand, if she spoke the truth, his ignoring her request might result in the loss of everything anyway. He had to defend the paradise before anything, but if even the paradise was in jeopardy, not offering aid would prove just as disastrous. Perhaps more so.

He needed guidance.

In that exact moment the clear prism that always sat prominently on his desk as if it were mere decoration emitted a soft white light. The child priest, Helios stood within its depths, his eyes wise far beyond his seeming age.

"You're brooding again," the disembodied voice observed softly.

"I'm not brooding," he barked back with the petulance of an adolescent boy. "I'm _thinking_!"

Helios nodded gracefully in placating allowance, which only irritated Endymion further.

"Could it be used to infiltrate Elysian?" the prince asked without preamble. Helios had enough grasp on his frame of mind at all times to not need any context.

"I do not believe so sire, but I am far from an expert in Lunarian technology."

"And the threat of Chaos?"

"I have felt the darkness stirring in many hearts for some time. It could be as she says."

Endymion sighed. What he wouldn't give for a clear cut answer.

"You believe her," Helios commented.

Endymion nodded. "I do."

"Why?"

Endymion pondered the question. It was in her demeanor, she just radiated passion, righteousness, and there was a spark and depth to her eyes that he rarely saw outside of newborn babies and young children.

"I just…" he let his head fall between his knees, his hands cradling the back of his neck. "There was something in her eyes."

"You're such a sap," Helios said with a childish laugh.

Endymion shrugged. He might be guilty of that. It wouldn't be the first time he had been taken in by a passionate plea. "It was more than that. She was desperate, but she never worried for her own safety. Not when she left her home and came into enemy territory. Not when the shittenou had her surrounded. And not when we threatened her life. She was worried only for the rest of the universe."

It was her desire to save all of them - even Terra.

"It was her willingness to put her life in the hands of her enemies. It was her willingness to sacrifice herself for a worthy purpose."

"You want to help her."

"I do! But how can I justify putting Elysian at risk?"

"You rely too heavily on your secular training as prince. You are the Guardian of Terra. Your powers are healing and the intuition that comes from dreams. If you heart is telling you to listen to this woman, perhaps you ought to trust it."

"That will hardly appease my paranoid shittenou," Endymion groused.

Helios was silent for a long time. "They may not understand, but they will follow you to the ends of the earth," his young tenor finally imparted.

"What if that's exactly where I am leading them?" the raven-haired prince worried out loud.

"You can only do what you think is right."

Endymion fell into silence again, forcing himself to sit up and look out to the garden again. The living garden of color that represented everything he wanted to protect.

But if he kept it safe at the cost of the rest of the galaxy, could he live with himself?

"You've made up your mind."

Endymion nodded, and stamped to his feet. "Yes, thank you Helios. Now, I just have to figure out how to convince Kunzite so he won't argue so much. I would prefer not to have to argue with him. And I hate ordering him to keep his objections to himself."

"I honestly don't believe the crystal can be used as an anchor or scrying piece once inside Elysian," Helios reiterated. "And if we have this piece of the silver crystal, they can't reform it unless you give permission. This means they can't use it against Terra either."

Endymion smiled. "Thank you Helios. That might just work."

"Always delighted to serve, sire." The boyish face faded from his crystal.

...

Endymion had invited Serenity on a walk through his gardens and she had readily agreed. His shittennou and Sailor Venus had both insisted that they remain within sight of their charges. He had shared an eye-roll with the Lunarian princess and had to smother his own laughter.

He had honestly expected her to launch into persuasive impassioned arguments the second she had his private ear. But she had remained surprisingly silent, her attention stolen away by the variety of plants and flowers. Her eyes were wide with wonder and awe, her gaze darted from the cultivated bright red maple leaves to the yellowing elms to the deep red roses entering their second blooming of the season like a child at his first summer solstice festival.

"Like what you see?" he finally prompted.

"It's lovely," she replied wistfully, her attention still on the colorful palate of autumn leaves. "I couldn't ask for a more beautiful prison."

"Prison?" he echoed in genuine surprise. "This is my summer and autumn palace! And you are not a prisoner."

"It's not? I thought you had only agreed to hear me out before having me executed, as is your duty," she pointed out. Her voice remained light as if she wasn't discussing her own death.

"Whether or not I agree to help you, you are free to return home unless I uncover something that suggests you would truly mean Terra harm." He hadn't actually thought about any of that before he said it, and no doubt Kunzite would kill him for unveiling his hand too soon even if the head of his shittenou agreed with his assessment.

She smiled as a monarch butterfly fluttered across her line of sight.

"It would be an absolute waste to have you executed," he added watching her delight in the small creature.

Her blue gaze turned to him at that moment and he felt nailed to the ground, unable to move as her curious stare assessed him.

"You're not what I expected," she whispered.

"What did you expect?" he asked, a lazy smile rolling across his lips.

"A woman for one."

"A woman?" He laughed. "Why?"

"Every planetary guardian I have ever met has been a female. Even the ones I have encountered outside the Sol System. I had never learned that it was a rule or anything - I guess I just assumed," she offered with a casual shrug.

Huh. Endymion had never had the pleasure of interacting with many other planetary guardians, and it was true that his predecessor had been a woman. He would have to ask Helios about it.

"Perhaps I have a feminine soul," he suggested, a grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

She smiled. "Exactly. I expected the Terran Heir to be cold, hard, and perhaps arrogant. Unfeeling toward the plight of others."

"And I expected any Lunarian I met to be manipulative and condescending to a degree I wouldn't be able to stand. I never thought a Lunarian could care what happened to Terra."

She laughed, the sound echoed across the garden like bells in a concert hall. "I don't know that the stereo-type you describe is completely undeserved amongst many of my peers."

"Perhaps both our peoples have judged the other unfairly."

"Of that, I have no doubt," she agreed rapidly.

"I want to help you," he admitted. "I just have one question."

Her eyes turned to him, alight with joy. "Yes?" she prompted.

"How do you know you can trust me?" he asked. It was the one thing about their situation that still didn't make sense to him.

"Are you saying that I can't?" she countered, her lips threatening to curl upwards in amusement.

"No, but given everything you thought was true of Terrans, what made you think this was a good option?"

"First, you're not just any Terran. You are the Guardian Senshi."

"I think I would be tried for treason for being labeled a senshi," he commented dryly.

She waved away his objection. "Semantics. You have the starsee. The Earth chose you." She glanced away as if searching for words. "My mother told me something of Terra's dreamers. She says they are not easily swayed from their convictions and they have a grander vision than most. They have a stronger connection to their planet and to not just their people, but all of life. I think she fell in love with one centuries ago," she ended softly, her gaze having fallen into her hands, which were now folded together.

He lifted her gaze back up to his, with a finger on her chin.

"And second?"

"Second?" she repeated, her golden eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"You began your argument with 'first', so I assume you have at least a second point."

"Right," her gaze turned to the side and locked onto a rose before turning back to him. "May I be candid?" she asked.

"I would welcome it."

"It doesn't matter if I can trust you because even if I can't, it would be better that Terra get their hand on the fully formed crystal than for Chaos to hold it. Even if you used it to destroy Lunaria, at least it wouldn't be turned toward the rest of the living universe."

Endymion felt the air flee his chest as he lost the ability to breathe. Here he had been thinking of this princess as passionate innocence, and yet, she was still a ruler - able to make such morbid calculations.

"Plus, you are probably the _only_ person who would be able to deny the Silver Alliance," she concluded.

Her gaze turned to the rose again.

"That's my favorite variety. Its color is gorgeous of course, but it's the smell that does me in," he confided.

"It has a scent?!" she repeated in wonder.

He laughed. "It does." He walked her towards the deep red flower and pulled the bud towards her face. She leaned in and breathed deeply, and pulled away with new fire in her eyes, clearly delighted.

"May I touch it?" She asked eagerly.

"Of course! You can pick a few too, if you like. Just watch out for thorns."

Her fingers caressed the blood red petals.

"It's so soft!" She exclaimed like it was the most unexpected reality.

He laughed. "Do they not have roses on the moon?"

"No," her answer was soft and wistful. She shook her head. And it was his turn to stare at her in baffled surprise.

"No flowers at all, actually," she continued. "Or trees or grass. Or birds. Or even oceans."

"What _is_ on the moon?"

"Crystal gardens that project rainbows all around you. Rivers that flow in silver. A night sky that has more stars than you can imagine."

"I would like to see it."

Her eyes turned distant and he regretted giving her reason to turn sad.

"I would like to show it to you," she whispered.

"Maybe someday, when you and I are rulers of our own planets, we'll be able to heal things between our worlds." He took her hand. Her fingers interlaced with his own.

He stared at their joined hands. He hadn't thought about the action. He had just wanted to comfort her. It was such a simple thing. A beautiful thing.

"I hope so," she said softly, her cheeks pink from the cold, her lips curled into a small private smile, and her eyes - he was lost in her blue gaze.

The sound of metal clashing broke through their moment. Both he and Serenity whirled around at the disruptive altercation. Two dozen or more men barrelled past their respective protectors, their armored footfalls clashing through the peace and serenity of the prior moment.

"Get your hands off him, witch!" the leader of the contingent ordered.

Serenity took a step back immediately, raising her hands in surrender.

But a soldier whirled around her and kicked the back of her knee, sending her plummeting to the ground with a startled cry.

Endymion pulled his sword. "Get away from her!" he barked.

Venus already had the attacker in a choke hold. Endymion hadn't even known she was there.

Only in that moment did Endymion notice the presence of his father and the Lady Beryl at the rear of the guard. His father's gaze held anxiety and disappointment in equal measures. Endymion glanced at Beryl. She offered him a superior smirk, as if to say, I told you you would regret the day you spurned me.

"It is as I feared, your majesty," Beryl crooned in sympathy towards the Terran King. "We are too late. He is clearly already under her thrall."

"Her what?" the prince demanded sharply.

"Endymion, you know better than to converse with a Lunarian," his father barked disapprovingly. "They only need you to hear their voice and you will be at their mercy."

Venus laughed. "She's not a siren, you superstitious moron!"

"Venus!" Serenity hissed.

"Please father, hear me out. I do not believe Serenity is here to cause any harm. She came to…"

His father held up a hand to silence him. "If she had gone through the proper channels and come to me first, she might have grounds to stand on. Instead, she came to manipulate and seduce our heir. Think of the repercussions on Sol politics for decades to come."

"It's not like that," Endymion insisted through gritted teeth.

"Take her!" The king ordered. "I will organize for her public execution myself. Hopefully, once she is gone, you're senses will be returned to you, my son."

Endymion watched as the soldiers dragged the Lunarian princess from his presence.

He took little solace in the fact that when they turned to take in Venus as well, the guardian senshi had vanished.

...

Endymion knew one thing. Serenity did not deserve to be executed. He knew that he could save her if only he could get close. The problem one his father's forces were under the impression that he was under some kind of spell and could not be trusted in her presence.

Which meant he would have to slip in through the prison's guards.

"Stealth was never your strength."

Endymion started at the voice behind him. "Kunzite," he growled. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Better me than someone else."

Endymion glared at his friend and protector.

"This is a bad idea," Kunzite chastised. "You know that any attempt to rescue her highness will only solidify in their minds that you're under her spell."

"You know that I'm not under her spell!" Endymion hissed back, his gloved hands closed into fists.

"Do I?" Kunzite asked with a single arched eyebrow.

"If I were under her thrall, you would be as well, and we wouldn't be having this conversation at all!" Endymion argued.

Kunzite considered him stoically.

"Please!" Endymion begged. "You know this is wrong. She shouldn't have to die to prove some point. You just have to get me to her."

Kunzite gripped his arm reassuringly. "It will be as you wish."

And it was. Kunzite had him inside and across from the princess's cell with eight minutes.

Serenity leapt towards the cell door at his sudden presence. "Thank the gods!" she whispered. She had once again manifested the crystal out towards him. "You have to take this and safe-guard it in Elysian!" she ordered.

She still trusted him. A grin bloomed across his face. He once again enclosed her fingers around the crystal.

"You will safe-guard the crystal yourself," he insisted. And the second their hands made contact he willed the veil between worlds away, and guided her form through the transition.

The drab grey of layered rocky bricks faded away into the familiar ambiance of what had become his innermost private sanctum.

Serenity opened her eyes to the beauty of Elysian. He had thought she was impressed with his garden, and perhaps she had been, but he knew from his own experience, nothing compared to Elysian.

Light from the sun flitted through rainbow colored leaves, its rays somehow purer and brighter, but also gentler on the eyes. The sounds of birdsong, insect buzzes, animal calls and the whisper of rustling leaves all blended together as harmoniously as an orchestra. Even the air smelled sweeter.

"A-are we… D-did you bring me to…" the princess stuttered, at a complete loss for words.

"Welcome to Elysian your highness," he announced with a grand gesture to the living expanse before them.

"You can't! Isn't this treason?"

"Well apparently, I'm under your thrall, and am willing to all sorts of things I wouldn't normally consider," he offered with a grin.

"Stop!" she chastised. "This is serious. I'm not supposed to be here."

"You also aren't supposed to be executed," he argued back, his face and tone turning serious once again. "And this way, you can safe-guard your crystal yourself. Hide it where even I won't know where it is. And once you leave, even you will no longer have access to it. I cannot make it safer than that."

Her blue eyes turned glassy. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I've never been able to share this place with anyone," he confided.

"I'm honored," she whispered, touching a hand to his chest as if without his support she wouldn't remain standing. He covered her small hand in her larger one.

"After you hide the crystal, will I ever see you again?" he wanted to know.

She smiled again. "My Senshi would have a fit!"

"The Shittenou as well," he agreed. "Perhaps we won't tell them."

Her hand caressed the side of his face. "I don't know if I will see you again, but I hope so. I have never before met a man like you. A man of courage and conviction, as well as compassion and understanding."

"The feeling is mutual," he whispered, ghosting a kiss onto her hand.

He let her wander through the forest, trusting that Helios would keep her safe. And when she returned she informed him that she had been able to contact Sailor Venus. Her Senshi could get her home, if he could take her back to Terra's physical realm.

And so for the second time in his life, he had to watch her leave his presence. His heart fell into his stomach. He couldn't stand the thought that it might be the last time he would see her. He couldn't believe that in only three encounters she could leave such an impression on him. He wasn't certain he would ever be the same.

He looked up at the silver sphere of the moon. There had to be a way to the Lunar Surface.

Perhaps Helios would know.

…

A/N: In trying to write a story for thefinalkey16, I learned that all the stories they've written took place in the Silver Millennium, so I assumed that this was the setting they would most enjoy. I also noticed they had written fic for Kingdom Hearts and Voltron! I have never played a single kingdom hearts game (I know! That's like blasphemy for a gamer like me that grew up obsessed with all things square!), but exactly a year ago I binged all of Voltron with my husband when we were forced to live in a hotel for six weeks! So I felt I could work with that for this story!

The basic premise of Voltron's backstory is that Voltron was separated out into the lions and hidden so that the evil invading army couldn't get ahold of it and use it against the good guys. And the lions were hidden into temples where only chosen pilots could find and bond with them. One of them - the blue lion - was hidden on earth! So, that was sortve what I started with for this fic.

Serenity's aura/scrutiny powers were also loosely based off of Allura's.

I want to thank TinaCentury for being the most awesome beta! On multiple occasions she took a break from her own frantic writing to pop into my story and offer me feedback, ideas, one brilliant simile, grammar fixes, and just overall cheerleading.

I'm not going to lie. I wasn't ever sure that I was going to get this out today (Not yesterday or even an hour ago)! Nov 1st is a huge letter of rec deadline for me every year and that stole like a whole week of my writing time! And I have an eight-month-old at home who makes any writing time unpredictable at best! But all the way through this, I couldn't quit! I WANTED so bad to write this story, wanted so bad to participate in my very first fic exchange! And I loved every bit of the experience!

So, I'm SO VERY pleased to bring you this story. It's kinda different from what I usually write, and while it's rough around the edges in a few spots, I'm pretty pleased with how it came out overall. I hope thefinalkey16 likes it especially too! And the rest of you of course!

Thanks for reading!

Always remember, reviews are love!


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